Society did not want the married woman and child to be "on the parish" so the runaway husband could be arrested. A runaway wife could result in a post saying that the husband would not pay any bills that she runs up.

Babies cannot care for themselves so cultures do try to address the issue in all sorts of ways. The CDC Adverse Childhood Experience Study brings home that children that grow up in fear or neglect or abuse or terror, have a higher risk as adults of not only all addictions, all mental health disorders, but also chronic disease and early death. And the disaster wiring of the brain is necessary to survival. Systems and back up systems.

Children not cared for, families in distress, women and men in poverty, do have a cost to all societies. In the US, anyone can go to the emergency room and we have deemed it illegal to turn them away. We have not deemed it illegal to take their house away for billing, even if this leaves them homeless. Meanwhile, there is a recent article about a hospital that picked their top ten most "frequent flier" homeless patients from the emergency room and is paying for housing. Because paying for housing turns out to save the hospital system enormous amounts of money. I think it's good to support these people, but I think we would have more productive adults if we started the support before they were homeless.

The current system in the US is in flux for all sorts of reasons. Manufacturing jobs outsourced to other countries. Healthcare so expensive that small businesses cannot survive, county governments cut employees and services, more and more money to healthcare and salaries stagnate and there is not money to repair roads. Minimum wage is not enough to cover housing, insurance, transportation and food for one person, much less a family. Education is being priced out of range, with loans that last for years. Banks and corporations and advertising press greed and making money as the main value in the US. Is there any wonder that there is despair?

You may disagree with all of that, but that is what I see: despair. And people tuning out with drugs. The level of addiction in the US is terrifying. I have no problem with marijuana being legal. Do not confuse that with being "good for you" or even "ok for you". Another addictive drug that people think is not addictive, not a problem, not me, I don't have a problem. I just read a nice study from the 1980s with pilots given 18mcg of pot to smoke and then flight simulator testing in 24 hours. They did really badly. If you don't want your airplane pilot stoned, or your brain surgeon stoned, who exactly do you think has a job where you are fine with the person being stoned? School teacher? Air traffic controller? Giant high rise crane operator?

We have to learn to handle our emotions, not drug them. All humans. We all have all the archetypes, masculine, feminine, dark, light, good and evil. Foolish, helpful, kind, envious. Frightened and lonely. Happy and secure. Room for all.